Tag Archives: Croydon BID
Mayor Perry is failing to ‘fix the finances’ at his own family firm
EXCLUSIVE: The latest annual accounts for Carlton Business Plastics, the family business run by entrepreneur and part-time Mayor Jason Perry, show that his company is suffering a financial crisis of its own. By SANDRA STEAD There is good reason for … Continue reading
MP Jones misses mark with criticism of town centre’s Primark
CROYDON IN CRISIS: One of the borough’s Labour MPs is accused of ‘performatively sending emails’ to a fashion chain’s CEO, when there are bigger issues in the borough, such as Westfield’s continuing delays over redevelopment Croydon West MP Sarah Jones … Continue reading
Surrey Street’s Mr Fox ‘cocktail pub’ freehold is put up for sale
Yet another Croydon town centre pub has closed, as the food and drink business empire of a colleague of Mayor Jason Perry appears to be feeling the strain. Signs for Fleurets, a specialist pub and hospitality property agency, appeared above … Continue reading
Police rule out using Live Facial Recognition on Surrey Street
The Metropolitan Police has ruled out the possibility of deploying Live Facial Recognition cameras to deter crime and anti-social behaviour on Surrey Street, Croydon’s ancient street market in the town centre. Some traders say that they were told last week … Continue reading
Unlock £££s of town centre discounts with Checkout Croydon
You can get decent discounts at Pizza Express, make savings at a local health club and get free food at Wagamama with a Croydon loyalty card that has just been released for visitors to the town centre. The Checkout Croydon … Continue reading
Met to target town centre as one of London’s crime ‘hot spots’
Croydon town centre has been named in a list of crime “hot spots” issued today by the Metropolitan Police, among the places in London most likely to attract anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime. Increased police patrols will be at … Continue reading
Town centre PSPO is another Perry failure. It’s time to scrap it
CROYDON COMMENTARY: It was Einstein who was supposed to have said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Here, PETER UNDERWOOD, right, questions the council’s thinking behind the … Continue reading
Bench removal confirms Perry’s PSPO is yet another failure
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor’s ‘reign of error’ now includes removing benches from the high street in attempt to solve anti-social behaviour. Except that it hasn’t… KEN LEE reports Jason Perry, Croydon’s piss-poor Mayor, has spent much of the past week … Continue reading
It’s Easter – so obviously, Whitgift Centre goes all Jurassic Park
Croydon’s Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres are staging a Dino Eggstravaganza this Easter weekend, what they call “a thrilling, prehistoric-themed experience for dino-lovers of all ages”. So, full of the meaning of Easter, then… From tomorrow, Thursday April 17, through … Continue reading
You won’t fix ‘broken window syndrome’ with police on horses
CROYDON COMMENTARY: There are many problems in our town centres, says EMMA GARDINER, but Mayor Perry is going the wrong way about putting them right Croydon’s elected mayor, Jason Perry, recently treated the public to a selfie in the town … Continue reading
How businesses profited at expense of the Borough of Culture
BOROUGH OF VULTURES: £1.3m of arts funding provided by the Mayor of London was misused by Croydon’s Tory council to boost local businesses, but delivered a year-long flop, judging by official audience figures. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s year as … Continue reading
How Croydon’s ‘Culture Club’ was turned into a business clique
CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the borough’s £1.5m year of culture is staggering to its conclusion, we reveal how the owners of a Surrey Street pub were handed £28,000 for… nothing. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES As Croydon’s year as London’s Borough … Continue reading
Organisers pull plug on beer festival after only 127 buy tickets
Dozens of beer- and cider-lovers have been left disappointed and out-of-pocket (for now at least) by the last-minute cancellation of a two-day festival due to have been staged at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls. But anyone booking in advance for the South … Continue reading
BID’s brass neck over plastic giraffes, as only 1,000 used app
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council gave a £50,000 arts grant to a business organisation, where Mayor Perry is on the board of directors. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry might as well have stood at the end of Surrey Street … Continue reading
Mayor Perry is told to wait for £18.5m Levelling Up boost
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Business interests in the town centre will benefit from Government cash for cycling and walking schemes. But doubts surround whether Mayor Perry will manage to deliver a six-year-old Labour plan to open up College Green. By our … Continue reading
Council to use Home Office grant for BID’s privatised policing
The council has announced that it has secured £165,000 through the government’s Safer Streets Fund to tackle crime in the town centre. The grant comes from the Home Office where, at least until this morning, Tory MP for Croydon South, … Continue reading
Millionaire pulls plug on Mayor Perry’s ‘big idea’ for Allders
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The businessman behind Secret Cinema folded five companies in August, as ambitious plans for the ‘turning point for the future of entertainment’ in Croydon’s dilapidated town centre are abandoned. By STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry put on his … Continue reading
Jason Perry’s Croydon: a place with all the wrong priorities
Inside Croydon’s loyal reader was strolling along the High Street in the town centre this morning and captured this wonderful scene Our reader dropped us a note in which they say, “Think this illustrates nicely Jason Perry’s Croydon. “Two workers, … Continue reading
Perry is director of company handed £50,000 culture grant
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES One of the biggest single grants handed out by Croydon Council for Borough of Culture projects has gone to a company where Mayor Jason Perry is a director. While several long-established, recognised community arts groups had … Continue reading
A town centre amble that goes from the sublime to ridiculous
KEN TOWL took a stroll down Surrey Street and Church Street and encountered two different takes on what passes for ‘culture’ in Croydon The Croydon Clocktower has an exhibition of the works of Evacustes Phipson. “Evacustes who?” you may ask … Continue reading
GLA has few checks on how £1.3m Culture grant is being spent
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The cash-strapped council received £1.35m from City Hall towards the staging of the Borough of Culture, but it is subject to next-to-no external scrutiny over how that public money is being used. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The … Continue reading
Council hits duff note as it helps pals set up digital studio
The council is claiming a role in spending £500,000 to establish a new “creative digital lab” off the Purley Way “to help support local businesses and enable residents to upskill” – despite there being existing facilities in the town centre … Continue reading
Having a giraffe! Business group spends thousands on statues
Town centre business group Croydon BID is spending thousands of pounds on a collection of oddly-decorated, mostly eight-foot-tall fibre glass statues of giraffes, which are due to be distributed among shops and on street corners later this summer, in the … Continue reading
Perry’s new PSPO zone is ‘just window-dressing’ say critics
Surrey Street traders to establish group to represent their interests after council ignored their pleas for help over thefts and violence on Croydon’s historic street market Mayor Jason Perry is axing more than 20 Neighbourhood Safety Officers, but he has … Continue reading
